Burner construction



W. E. HOKE.

BURNER CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. :0, 1922;

Patented Aug. 29, 1922 WILLIAM E. HOKE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.-

BURNER CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented .Aug, 29, 1922 Application'filed January 10, 1922. Serial No. 528,175.

T 0 all 10 71 0m it may concern Be it known that I, IVILLIAM E. HOKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burner Constructions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in burners for burning hydrocarbons, in general, and more particularly to'burner constructions of the type used for burning solid hydrocarbonffuel.

The object of the invention is a burner of the character referred to which is simple in construction and has a high efliciency.

The natureof the invention, the principle of operation and the advantages will appeal-from the description and the accompanying drawings and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a burner embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a detail shown in Fig. 1; i

Fig. 3 is an elevation of a modified form, a part being shown in section;

F ig, 1 is a plan view of a detail shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through another form of the invention.

Devices of the type involved ordinarily comprise avcan, a body of solidified fuel therein and a chimney attached to the can or at any rate stationary during the operation of the burner. The chimney extends upwardly from the top of the can and does not or not to any considerable extent project into the can. Even at the beginning of the operation, i. e., when the level of the fuel is the highest, the distance between the bottom of the chimney and the surface of the fuel is considerable, At any rate, as the surface of the fuel recedes, the distance increases in proportion.

In devices of the character just pointed out, the air entering through the annular space between the top of the can and the chimney is free to expand in all directions below the bottom of the chimney. The flame burns with substantially uniform intensity across the whole surface of the fuel. Experience shows that there is a continuous interference between the products of combustion tending to rise and the air. In fact air can reach the surface of the fuel only when due to lack of air combustion ceases in parts. The flame is at times traveling around in circles or surging to and fro or spasmodi cally flaring up and dying down. At any rate the combustion is entirely irregular and this irregularityincreases as the distance between the bottom of the chimney and the surface of the fuel increases.

I have found that the combustion is most favorable when the bottom of the chimney is relatively close to the surface of the fuel and may be maintained that way by adjusting the chimney or the lower part thereof, as the case may be, in order to maintain the distance between the bottom of the chimney and the surface of the fuel nearly constant.

Generally considered it is not material whether the chimney is as such movable or stationary. The essential requirement is a screen or wall in the can operating to separate the incoming air from the outgoing products of combustion or, in particular, a screen which is adjustable or extensible and thereby adapted to prevent the air from entering the centerregion of the can or other container where it would interfere with the products of combustion.

It is the more particular object of the invention to provide a burner construction with an adjustable screen portion for con trolling the conditions of combustion.

In Fig. 1, 10 represents a can and 11 the fuel therein. The tube 12 has at its bottom edge feet 18 resting upon the surface of the fuel. To maintain the tube 12 in vertical position, I preferably attach a wire fabric 14 to the feet 13. j

As the fuel is consumed and the surface of the fuel is lowered, the tube 12 descends correspondingly and the lower edge of it remains the same distance from the fuel 11.

While the tube 12 is conical throughout its length, its bottom portion may be cylindrical and it should be clearly understood that the lower portion of the tube 12 has no other purpose than to act as a screen. For the sake of simplicity this screen and the chimney proper have been made in the form of a conical tube.

At the top edge the tube 12 carries a starshap-ed plate 15 which has the function to deflect the flame and cause it to strike the pot or other body to be heated in the form n c 'ood distribution of the heat.

top per n 16 and passes down between the outer suriace of the tube and the wall of the can to near the surface of the fuel before it can enter into the central zone. The air, as can be readily understood, can thus pass radially over the surface of the fuel from the wall of the can to the center thereof. The flan e due to the combustion of the fuel near the wall of the can is swept inwardly toward the center so that the products combustion can rise without interfering with the flow of air to the fuel.

For ordinary constructions the distance between the surface of the fuel and the edge of the tube is about 3 to 9;, but may vary slightly according to the size of the can.

The construction shown in Figs. 3 and i is generally similar to the form shown in Fig. l. The tube 20, however, does not rest upon the fuel, but is movably held upon the can 10. The tube 20 has a plurality of radial ribs 22 which frictionally engage the top 23 of the can. A cheap and simple form of tube may be made by folding a strip of metal as indicated. The upper edges may beturned down to prevent the folds constituting the ribs from opening.

The tube can be readily moved to follow the fuel or toadjust it in any desired position.

In theform shown in Fig. 5, the tube 30 is supported upon the top of the can by means of arms 31. The tube has. a cylindrical bottom portion 32 which is surrounded by a sleeve 33. The sleeve is movable on.

the portion 32 but the frictional contact is sufficient to hold it in any adjusted position. Handle portions 34; may be provided to adjust the sleeve.

lVhile there is considerable latitude in the forms of construction of the device as a whole and the form of the details, I prefer to embody the invention in the form of an attachment for the usual type of cans. In all forms shown the can represents a usual construction and either of the tubes 12, and can be directly applied after the lid has been removed.

In the form shown in Fig. may be secured upon a ring 35 which may have depending lugs 36 for centering the tube in the opening of the top.

/l hile the invention applies principally to solid fuel or to fuel which liquefies prior to combustion, it is broadly applicable to liquid fuel.

I claim:

l. A burner comprising a fuel container open at its top, a tube extending into the container and means for adjusting the distance between the bottom of the tube and the surface of the fuelin the container.

2. A. burner comprising a fuel container open at its top, a tube of considerable length a portion of which extends above the con tainer and another portion of which extends a considerable distance into the container, the arrangement being such that the tube portion in the container forms aseparating wall between the fiame and theair drawn in through the top causing the air to pass downwardly along the wall of the container and allowing it to pass toward the central region only relatively close to the surface of the fuel.

3. A burner comprising a fuel container open at its top, a tube extending into the container and definingztherein a separating wall between the flame and the air drawn in through the top and means for varying the effective length of the said separating wall in the container.

4. A burner comprising a fuel container open at its top, a tube extending into the container and being movable, at least in part, to define a separating wall of variable length in the container for separating the tine from the air drawn in through the top. 5. A burner comprising a fuel container open at its top, a tube extending into the container and means for movably supporting the tube in vertical direction relatively to the container.

In testimony whereof, I affix mysignature.

WILLIAM E- HOKE.

5 the arms 31 

